The sun, with all those planets revolving around it
and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes
as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.

Galileo Galilei

TIP OF THE MONTH

Tolerating Drought In Your GardenHopefully, by the time you read this, the
period of wilted plants and empty rain barrels will be over.
However, if the rain has yet to arrive or if you want to prepare for
the next inevitable drought, onearth Magazine blogger Paige
Smith Orloff offers
Ten Tips for Tolerating Drought in Your Garden. Reducing
usage also helps lower stress on the watershed from water withdrawal.

BRWA NEWS

Water Chestnut Harvest at Rice City Pond

In late June and early July, the BRWA, with a
grant from the DCR Partnerships Matching Funds Program, contracted a
mechanical harvester to remove invasive water chestnut plants in the
85-acre Rice City Pond in the Blackstone River Heritage State Park in
Uxbridge.

Here are photos of:

conditions before the work began,

harvesting in action,

and the pond after completion.

Stay tuned! If new plants develop this season a Pull the Plants
Party! hand pull event may be required in August.

For over 41 years the Blackstone River Watershed Association
has worked with its members and partners to help facilitate the
mighty Blackstone River’s transition from an industrial river to
one that provides critical habitat benefits to wildlife and valuable
recreational opportunities to residents and visitors.

The BRWA, in partnership with the Blackstone River Coalition,
facilitates routine water quality monitoring at 30 sites to identify
areas of concern. In 2011, only 37% of the locations rated Good or
Excellent across all categories and 27% scored Fair or Poor because
of high nutrient concentration. These conditions reinforce the need
for the education provided through the BRWA’s Watershed and Us program
and its outreach activities that raise awareness of simple steps that
can be taken to minimize how daily activities on the land impact
rivers and streams.

The BRWA’s annual spring Earth Day Cleanup and fall Blackstone
Valley Riverways Cleanup attract an average of 250 volunteers who
collect hundreds of bags of trash, heaps of discarded tires and
numerous bulky items from river banks. Additionally, nearly 50
volunteers participate in the NIP No Invasive Plants program and
remove tons of invasive aquatic plants from waterways during Pull
the Plants Parties.

Each year the BRWA adds and improves multiple boat access
points to promote paddling activities on the rivers. Its 36 year
old Annual Canoe and Kayak Race is the second longest running race
in the State!

Hopefully you have received and spent time with our special edition
printed newsletter that highlights the Blackstone River Watershed
Association’s programs and accomplishments over the past few years.
If you did not receive this 8-page newsletter, send an email
requesting an electronic or paper version to
info@thebrwa.org.

Show your support for the BRWA’s work by
joining
online or sending your membership form today! Your tax-deductible
donation will help ensure that the organization continues to deliver
programs that further its mission to engage, educate and advocate for
improved water quality in the Blackstone River Watershed.

Join the BCC for a morning of trail clearing and trash removal along the towpath of the
canal in the Blackstone River & Canal Heritage State Park. All who are
interested in preserving the canal are invited to meet at 9 AM,
at the Plummer's Landing parking area at the canal on Church
Street in Northbridge, MA. This is one of a continuing series of work
events to improve the canal and towpath.

Donation “Wish List”The BRWA is in need of a tall, 2 door storage
cabinet for our office. We’re looking for a sturdy, 6’tall by 3’
wide by 18” – 24” deep, metal or plastic cabinet with shelves.
If you have one in need of a new home, email Mike at
mike.sperry@thebrwa.org.

UniBank Blackstone River Valley Greenway Challenge Training Program The UniBank Blackstone River Valley Greenway
Challenge Steering Committee has announced that it has partnered with MRA
Multisport to provide educational clinics and event specific training
sessions to registered and prospective race participants or anyone with a
goal to stay healthy or get in shape. The clinics and training sessions
will be held at various locations in the Blackstone River Valley at
convenient times. Register for the Greenway Challenge by July 21st to
receive a 25% discount.
Click here
for dates, details and a list of courses.

Artist Chris Jordan created this image of a blue
whale from 50,000 plastic bags – the estimated number of pieces of floating
plastic in every square mile of the world’s oceans. In his Running the
Numbers series, Jordan seeks to connect important environmental and
social issues to the sometimes incomprehensible statistics behind them.

To view Whale close up and to see more of Chris Jordan’s work visit
his website.